First year was over, and summer loomed. With it, the challenge of finding a private flat in Stirling. It was no mean feat – my summer became filled with unsuccessful flat viewings and numerous rejections, accompanied by lengthy emails with estate agents and no success with our student accommodation backup option.
One year later, and student living has never been better. Here’s why putting the effort in is so worth it.
Independence and community
When you get your own keys from the estate agent, you begin to feel like a real grown-up…just a little bit. Having an independent flat contract, setting up energy accounts, dealing with council tax exemptions and understanding how the Stirling bins work (I’m still not sure) pushes you into facing the real world without throwing you in at the deep end. It’s exciting, rewarding, almost thrilling in a super strange, tear-inducing way. I felt like I was evolving as an adult, upgrading slightly beyond who I was in student halls, and seeing the real world for what it really is (bad, honestly, but it’ll get you at some point – so why not now before you actually have to pay the council tax?)
It’s beautifully rewarding to view flats with your friends, find the people you want to come home to and build a little home together. Arguing over charity shop art and who has to sacrifice their kitchenware is a soul-warming step in life and one that forms a fond, if frustrating at the time, memory.
Affordability and Control
My little two-bed city centre flat costs way less than what we were paying on campus, and it is immensely satisfactory. This is not always the case, of course – on campus, I paid ~£636/month (Juniper/Willow Court prices 23/24). In the city centre, I am paying £475/month in rent, plus £44/month in bills, totalling £519/month.
For less money, we have the freedom of our own little kitchen, a comfy sofa, wall art and fairy lights in the living room, and the world on our doorstep. Sure, we share a bathroom, but that’s okay if you pick your flatmate(s) wisely (I did get lucky with mine, so I may be biased).
Commuting to university is way better than commuting to the pub
I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather suffer through the Unilinks to attend classes than struggle with them for social occasions. Leaving the pub at midnight to roll into bed only ten minutes later is a joyful feeling that only comes from previously experiencing an early-morning bus.
Commuting to campus can be a pain; we all know that. However, I have yet to miss a class (or even skip a 9 am, not to brag) since living in the city. Compared to being on campus, I only have to leave the flat 20 minutes earlier – e.g., I leave at 8.20 am for a 9 am in comparison to 8.40 am before. It’s really, really not a huge difference…especially when you can detour past Greg’s.
But what if I don’t want to live in town?
That’s okay! Some people prefer the quiet of campus, the accessibility to Dumyat and the woodlands, and rolling out of bed and straight into their 9 am. It’s a wonderful way to do it, and I loved it in my first year. However, after that initial first-year settling-in period is over, a change of scenery is really beneficial. Learning how to pay your own bills, being responsible for rent and contracts, and expanding your world beyond the Stirling campus are key steps to a responsible and prepared adulthood.
Bite the bullet and view some flats – you never know, you might find your next little home.
Featured Image Credit: Alice Pollard